A Genetic Male Pansexual. Queer Identified and Living in Durham, NC.

On being remembered by old customers

Sometimes there are customers you like. They like you and remember you.

Saturday, Gary Weisel dropped by. He was making his annual summer visit to Durham. He went to Duke, made friends here in Durham and comes back from Pennsylvania to visit. He always brings a box of books to trade in.

Kevin Maroney was in today. His brotherís death had brought him home. Before leaving Yonkers he loaded the car with books and LPs for us to buy.

I havenít seen Jim Kuppers in several months. Jim is a record dealer who makes his daily living as a dog groomer. Heís well remembered by people here in central North Carolina for the record shows he once held. Jim lives outside Washington DC. Whenever he comes he brings boxes of books. Heíd rather sell to me than the local folks up there.

They all bring interesting and worthwhile books. None of them will make me rich but it is good to be remembered.

Comments

hi richard,

i’m another old customer who remembers you and books do with tremendous fondness…you wouldn’t remember me, i’m sure - i was just one of many
punk/indie rock kids who frequented your store in the mid nineties.

i’ve been a mystery fiend all my life, and it was your place that got me into so many good authors (like rendell, barnard, yorke, et al.) and out of all the nyt bestseller schlock. not to mention all the great lit/cultural crit stuff traded in by grad students & profs (books i couldn’t afford at full price) and the incredible comics & graphic novels - you’re who introduced me to r. crumb and lynda barry!

of course, it was also your store where i used my ill-advised charge card on a near-weekly basis for 4+ years…but the debt was WELL worth it! i’m in michigan now, but when i do come through NC, i always stop by. still have the old store layout in my head though, and always come through the front door feeling a bit disoriented!

at any rate, i just stumbled across your weblog via another site, recognized your name and the photos from the store, and wanted to send some words of gratitude and recognition. ann arbor (where I live now) has a lot of great bookstores, both used and new, but I’ve still not found one that compares with books do furnish a room.